Safety blood collector device

ABSTRACT

A blood collector system utilizes a standard disposable needle assembly and standard blood collecting and receiving tubes of the type sealed by a pierceable septum. The system has a hollow cylinder, including an internally apertured sleeve into which the needle assembly is mounted and into which the sealed blood collecting tubes are inserted to be pierced by a needle of the needle assembly. A protective sheath with two clips is concentrically mounted to the barrel cylinder with slot on both sides of the barrel so that the hollow cylinder can move down to cover the patent contacted needle. On both side of the barrel, there are one upper slot and one lower slot, a slot channel between the upper slot and lower slot. The clip is shaped so that it can be snap in the upper and lower slot and can be only slide down from the upper slot to lower slot, but not backwards. After the needle is taken out from a patient, the clip will be pushed down out of the upper slot, then slide down through the slot channel, then be pushed down to snap in the low slot of the barrel in order to cover the used needle from a patient. The apparatus of the invention eliminates the health care worker&#39;s exposure to accidental needle pricks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention is directed to an improved blood specimencollection system for collecting blood from humans and domestic animals.More particularly, the present invention is directed to a blood specimencollector cylinder which includes a protective sheath for covering theneedle used during the collection, whereby the used needle can becovered by the protective sheath and discarded without being touched byhuman hands.

[0003] 2. Brief Description of the Prior Art

[0004] Blood specimen collectors have been known in the art for a longtime. More particularly, hypodermic syringes and needles have been usedin the art for a long time to draw blood samples from humans anddomestic animals.

[0005] Current hospital and clinical practice, however, requires thetaking of blood specimens to occur rapidly and with inexpensive andreadily disposable equipment with safety. Ordinary hypodermic syringeand needle combinations do not meet these requirements well. Thebelow-described state-of-the-art blood collecting system, on the otherhand, permits rapid and safe collection of blood specimen and uses adisposable blood collector and a collection tube in which the collectedblood specimen is initially received and in which it may be stored untildesired blood tests are performed.

[0006] More particularly, and still with reference to thestate-of-the-art blood collecting system, for the drawing of bloodspecimen, a standard disposable needle assembly is placed into athreaded hole in the end wall of a hollow cylinder. The standarddisposable needle assembly includes an externally extending hollowneedle which is used to “stick” the patient to draw blood, and anotherneedle extending inwardly into the interior of the hollow cylinder. Thetwo needles are coaxial and are in fluid communication with one another.The collection tube is sealed at one end with a pierceable rubber orlike septum. The collection tube is placed within the interior of thecylinder so that the septum is pierced by the inwardly extending needle.The patient's blood is then drawn into the collection tube through theneedles without coming into contact with the hollow cylinder. After thecollection tube is withdrawn from the cylinder, the blood collectionassembly is discarded. For safety reasons this requires placement of aprotective cap or sheath on the externally extending needle to avoidaccidental needle stick.

[0007] Although the above-summarized prior art blood specimen collectingapparatus works well, it has a Serious disadvantage in that it isnecessary to manipulate and touch the needle assembly after the needlehas been in contact with the patient's blood. Such manipulationunfortunately gives rise to the possibility of accidental wounding orpricking of a health care worker by the needle which has been used tocollect blood capable of transmitting infectious diseases. It is wellknown in the art that certain serious, even fatal, diseases, such ashepatitis and AIDS, may be spread in this manner, that is, throughaccidental contact with infected blood. In light of the foregoing, thereis a definite need in the art for a blood sample collecting system orapparatus in which exposure to contaminated needles is minimized oreliminated. This need has not been met in the prior art, althoughvarious devices have been made in the hypodermic syringe and relatedarts for drawing blood specimens and for performing and facilitating theprocess of injection of drugs with hypodermic syringes. U.S. Pat. No.3,706,306 describes a blood specimen collecting apparatus substantiallyof the type which is referred to in the foregoing brief description as“state-of-the-art”. U.S. Pat. No. 2,393,196 describes a hypodermicsyringe apparatus having a pivotable end piece to which a needle can bemounted. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,653,511; 4,710,170; 4,123,091; 2,376,436;4,641,663. French Patent No. 334,207; German Offenlegungsschrift Pat.No. 2451398 and German Offelegungsschrift Pat. No. 2815377 describestill further blood specimen collector and syringe type devices whichcomprise the background of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide a bloodspecimen collecting system in which a used needle assembly can bediscarded without being touched by human hands, thereby minimizing thehealth care worker's exposure to contaminated needles which maypotentially spread dangerous or fatal diseases.

[0009] It is another object of the present invention to provide a bloodspecimen collecting system which meets the above-noted objective andwhich utilizes standard needle assemblies and blood sample collectiontubes. The foregoing and other objects and advantages are attained by ablood collecting system which utilizes standard blood collecting tubeshaving one of their ends sealed by a pierceable septum. A standarddisposable needle assembly used in conjunction with the system includescoaxial first and second hollow needles in fluid communication with oneanother and an intermediate portion of enlarged diameter which isdimensioned to fit within an aperture provided in an end wall of ahollow cylinder. When the needle assembly is mounted into the cylinder,the first needle is axially extended and available to prick a patient todraw blood. The second needle is extended inwardly to pierce the septumof the standard blood collecting tube which is placed within theinterior of the cylinder.

[0010] A protective sheath with two clips is concentrically mounted tothe barrel cylinder with slot on both sides of the barrel so that thehollow cylinder can move down to cover the patent contacted needle. Onboth side of the barrel, there are one upper slot and one lower slot, aslot channel between the upper slot and lower slot. The clip is shapedso that it can be snap in the upper and lower slot, and can be onlyslide down from the upper slot to lower slot, but not backwards. Afterthe needle is taken out from a patient, the clip will be pushed down outof the upper slot, then slide down through the slot channel, then bepushed down to snap in the low slot of the barrel in order to cover theused needle from a patient. When the clip is snapped in the lower slot,it is permanent locked in. The apparatus of the invention eliminates thehealth care worker's exposure to accidental needle pricks.

[0011] The features of the present invention can be best understood,together with further objects and advantages, by reference to thefollowing description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment ofthe blood specimen collecting system or apparatus of the presentinvention,

[0013]FIG. 2 is a front view of the first preferred embodiment;

[0014]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, the cross-section being taken onlines J-J of FIG. 2.

[0015]FIG. 4 is a front view of the blood specimen collecting system orapparatus of the present invention after blood collection;

[0016]FIG. 5 is still another cross-sectional view, analogous to thecross-sectional view taken on lines C-C of FIG. 4. but showing a needleassembly in a sheath and in a hollow cylinder of the blood specimencollecting system of the present invention:

[0017]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a embodiment of the slide sheath;

[0018]FIG. 7 is a front view of the hollow cylinder;

[0019]FIG. 8 is a front view of the sheath;

[0020]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a embodiment of the clip;

[0021]FIG. 10 is a top view of FIG. 9

[0022]FIG. 11 is a front view of FIG. 9;

[0023]FIG. 12 is a left view of FIG. 9:

[0024]FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment ofthe safety spring activated blood specimen collecting system orapparatus of the present invention;

[0025]FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment ofthe safety spring activated blood specimen collecting system orapparatus of the present invention after blood collection:

[0026]FIG. 15 is a front view of the safety spring activated bloodspecimen collecting system or apparatus of the present invention afterblood collection;

[0027]FIG. 16 is still cross-sectional view taken on lines D-D of FIG.15, but showing a needle assembly in a sheath and in a hollow cylinderof the safety spring activiated blood specimen collecting system of thepresent invention:

[0028]FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a embodiment of the clip for thesafety spring activiated blood specimen collecting system:

[0029]FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a embodiment of the hollowcylinder for the safety spring activiated blood specimen collectingsystem:

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] The following specification taken in conjunction with thedrawings set forth the preferred embodiments of the present invention.The embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are the best modescontemplated by the inventor for carrying out his invention in acommercial environment, although it should be understood that variousmodifications can be accomplished within the parameters of the presentinvention. now to FIGS Referring. 1 through 6 of the appended drawings,a first preferred embodiment 20 of the blood specimen collector of thepresent invention is disclosed. It should be noted at the outset thatthe blood collector of the present invention is designed and adapted toutilize standard disposable needle assemblies and standard bloodcollection tubes, both of which are ordinarily used in the art for thecollection of blood specimens. Although these standard items do not, inand of themselves, comprise the present invention, they are describedhere first, to the extent necessary to explain and illuminate thepresent invention.

[0031] Thus, a standard needle assembly 22 includes a first needle 24which is normally used to penetrate a patient's veins (or other parts ofthe patient's body) to draw blood. An intermediate portion of the needleassembly 22 is a plastic body 26 of larger diameter than the firstneedle 24. The plastic body 26 is substantially cylindrical, and has athreaded part 28 and a ribbed part 30, with the two being separated fromeach other by a radially extending shoulder 32. A second needle 34extends from the plastic body 26 in a direction which is opposite tothat of the first needle 24. The two needles 24 and 34 are hollow and influid communication with one another. In fact, for practicalconstruction of the needle assembly 22, the two needles 24 and 34comprise the same piece of metal to which the plastic body 26 isattached.

[0032] Still in accordance with standard practice in the art, the needleassembly 22 is usually packaged and stored in protective sheaths (notshown) which are separately removable from the first and second needles24 and 34, respectively. Moreover, the second needle 34 usually carriesa protective rubber or like sleeve 36 which may be retracted on thesecond needle 34, as is shown on FIG. 5.

[0033] The blood collection tubes 38 used in the present inventioncomprise tubular receptacles of glass or plastic, which have a resilientseptum seal 40 penetrable by the second needle 34. The interior of theblood collection tube 38 is usually evacuated so as to contain partialvacuum. As it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art,the vacuum in the blood collection tube 38 eliminates the need for anair vent or vented needle during the blood collection process. Theappended drawing FIGURES show a tubular, hollow cylinder inside wall 42having a front wall 44 which includes a relatively short sleeve 46.Prior to taking of blood specimens the threaded portion 28 of theplastic body 26 is fitted into the sleeve 46, whereby the needleassembly 22 is mounted to the hollow cylinder 100. The blood collectiontube 38 is placed and pushed into the hollow cylinder inside wall 42 sothat the second needle 34 penetrates the seal 40, as is specificallyshown on FIG. 5. As it will be readily understood by those skilled inthe art, under the above-described circumstances blood can be drawn froma patient's body into the blood collection tube 38. After the firstneedle 24 is withdrawn from the patient's body, and the blood collectiontube 38 is removed from the cylinder 42, the collected blood specimencan be stored in the collection tube 38. The needle assembly 22 whichhas come into contact with the patient's blood, must be discarded. Thehereinafter-described novel features of the present invention facilitatethe step of discarding the used needle assembly 22, and render it muchless likely that a doctor, nurse, or other health care workeraccidentally should prick or injure himself or herself with the usedneedle.

[0034] The embodyment of the clip 70 is snapped in the sheath hole 64 asshown in FIG. 6. Before use, the clip 70 assembled with the sheath 110is snapped in the upper slot 56 of the hollow cylinder. After injectionfrom a patient, the slide sheath 90 can be pushed down by holding thefinger flange 92 of the hollow cylinder 100 and the outside wall 60 ofthe slide sheath 90. The lower curve edge 72 of the clip will be sliddown through the upper reducer 48 of the hollow cylinder 100. Then, theclip 70 is easily slid down the slot channel 50 of the hollow cylinder100. After that, the clip 70 is pushed down into the lower slot 54 ofthe hollow cylinder 100 through the lower reducer 52 of the hollowcylinder 100. The straight edge 76 of the clip 70 is against the upperstraight face 58 of the lower slot 54 so that the slide sheath ispermanently locked in the lower slot 54 without the possibility of beingslid backwards as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 9.

[0035] In an alternative way, the slide sheath 90 in FIG. 6 can bepushed down by two compression springs 302, 302 a as shown in FIG. 14.The protect sheath 110 is made of semi-rigid material so that it can bedeformed to an oval shape by squeeze as shown in FIG. 8. The embodimentof the alternative invention is shown from FIG. 13 to FIG. 18.

[0036] Before use, the clip 500 is snapped in the upper slot 402 of thehollow cylinder 600. After collecting blood from a patient or a animas,a health worker can squeeze the protect sheath 110 so that the widerpart 512 of the clip 500 can be out of the upper slot 402 of the hollowcylinder 600 and the narrow part 514 of the clip 500 will be pushed downby the compression spring 302 through the channel slot 410 to the lowerslot 414 permanently locked. The end shaft 502 of the clip 500 and theshaft 312 at the finger flange 405 of the hollow cylinder 600 are usedto guide a compression spring. 404 and 412 are reducers. The end cover518 of the clip is used to permanently lock the clip 500 at the lowerslot 414 of the hollow cylinder 600 as shown in FIG. 17 and FIG. 18.

What is claimed is:
 1. A blood specimen collecting system comprising incombination: a hollow cylinder having the upper slot, lower slot and theslot channel on both sides of the hollow cylinder, and an aperturedsleeve in the end wall adapted to receive a mounted needle assembly; ablood sample collector tube adapted to fit at least partially within thehollow interior of the cylinder, the collector tube being sealed at oneof its ends by a septum pierceable with a needle; a needle assemblyhaving an intermediate portion which is dimensioned to fit and bemounted in the apertured sleeve of the hollow cylinder, a first hollowneedle portion extending axially outwardly from the hollow cylinder, anda second hollow needle portion extending axially inwardly into theinterior of the cylinder, the first and second hollow needle portionsbeing in fluid communication with one another, the first hollow needleportion being adapted to pierce a person's veins, and the second hollowneedle portion being adapted to pierce the septum; and a protectivesheath with the clip on both sides mounted to the hollow cylinderconcentrically and can be slid down to the lower slot of the hollowcylinder, for covering the used needle from a patient, the sheath hastwo slots with two clips snapped in, the clips are snapped in the upperslots of the hollow cylinder before use, the clips will be slid down thelower slots through the slot channel to cover the injected needle from apatient eliminating the possibility of needle stick to health workers.The clip will be permanently locked at the lower slot of the hollowcylinder;
 2. The blood specimen collecting system of claim 1 wherein themeans for covering the injected needle from a patient comprises a sheathwith the two clips snapped in, concentrically mounted to the hollowcylinder with two slots and slot channel, the clip is at the upper slotof the hollow cylinder before injection, and the clip is at the lowerposition of the cylinder after taking needle away from patients to coverthe blood contacted needle from patients.
 3. The blood specimencollecting system of claim 2 wherein the sheath includes two clips, andwherein the hollow cylinder includes one upper slot and one lower sloton both sides of the hollow cylinder, one channel slot with an aperturedsleeve in the end wall adapted to receive a mounted needle assembly. Theclips can be pushed down out of the upper slots and slid down to thelower slots of the hollow cylinder to cover the injected needle frompatients. The clips will be locked in the lower slots of the hollowcylinder permanently.
 4. The blood specimen collecting system of claim 3wherein the intermediate portion of the needle assembly is threaded, andwherein the apertured sleeve in the end wall of the hollow cylinder hasat least one interior thread complementary to the thread of theintermediate portion.
 5. The blood specimen collecting system of claim 2wherein the hollow cylinder includes two upper slots and two lowerslots, one channel slot with an apertured sleeve in the end wall adaptedto receive a mounted needle assembly, The slots are in rectangularshape. Between the upper slot and channel slot, there is a reducer sothat the clip needs to be pushed into the slot channel. There is areducer between the slot channel and the lower slot that the clip needsto be pushed into the lower slot from the slot channel. The clip will bepermanently locked at the lower slot of the hollow cylinder.
 6. Theblood specimen collecting system of claim 3 wherein the clip has onesnap to fit in the sheath and a narrow width fitting in the slot channeland a wide width to prevent the clip out of the slot and the slotchannel. The clip is mounted to the upper slot of the hollow cylinderbefore injection and can be slid down to the lower slot of the hollowcylinder through the slot channel to cover the blood contacted needlefrom patients.
 7. In an apparatus for collecting blood specimens fromhumans or domestic animals, the apparatus including, in combination, ahollow cylinder having an end wall and an apertured sleeve formed in theend wall adapted to receive a removably mounted needle assembly; a bloodsample collector tube adapted to fit at least partially within thehollow interior of the cylinder, the collector tube being sealed at oneof its ends by a septum pierceable with a needle; a needle assemblyhaving an intermediate portion which is dimensioned to fit and bemounted in the apertured sleeve of the hollow cylinder, a first hollowneedle portion extending axially outwardly from the hollow cylinder, anda second hollow needle portion extending axially inwardly into theinterior of the cylinder, the first and second hollow needle portionsbeing in fluid communication with one another, the first hollow needleportion being adapted to pierce a person's veins, and the second hollowneedle portion being adapted to pierce the septum, the improvementcomprising: means mounted to the hollow cylinder concentrically, forcovering the injected needle from patients by using a standard needleassembly and vacuum blood collection tubes without human hands to touchthe needle assembly, the means for covering the injected needle frompatients by sliding the clip into the lower slot of the hollow cylinderthrough the slot channel of the hollow cylinder from the upper slot ofthe hollow cylinder permanently.
 8. The improvement of claim 7 whereinthe means for covering the injected needle permanently comprise a sheathwith two clips snapped in mounted to the hollow cylinder concentricallyby snapping the clips into the upper slot of the hollow cylinder beforeuse. The hollow cylinder has one upper slot, one lower slot and slotchannel on both sides of the hollow cylinder. The clip has one snap tofit in the sheath, and a narrow part to fit in the slots of the hollowcylinder and slide through the slot channel. The wide part of the clipis used to prevent the clip out of the slots and slot channel.
 9. Theimprovement of claim 8 wherein the hollow cylinder, the sheath and theclip for covering injected needle are entirely made of plastic material.10. An alternative way to cover the used needle from the patient is thata health worker can squeeze the protect sheath after collecting bloodfrom a patient or a animas so that the wider part of the clip can be outof the upper slot of the hollow cylinder and the narrow part of the clipwill be pushed down by the compression spring through the channel slotto the lower slot permanently locked.
 11. In claim 10, the clip is madewith width, the wide part and narrow part. On one side of the clip,there is a guide shaft which guides the compression spring.
 12. In claim10, there is a guide shaft on both side of the finger flanges of thehollow cylinder.